Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Roman Rota doubled its number of decisions in 2013

The Roman Rota, the highest appellate canonical court, doubled the
number of decisions it rendered in 2013, according to a report in the
latest English edition of L’Osservatore Romano.
“Nearly 400 cases were decided, more than double the number in previous
years, lowering the number of cases pending, several of which have
unfortunately gone on for too long,” Father Pio Vito Pinto, the dean of
the Roman Rota, said during a January 24 audience with Pope Francis.

“The Dean also welcomed a shift in the tendency to favor negative
rulings over positive, a turnaround uniquely ‘anchored in the fontal and
factual truth, illumined by the Holy Spirit, thanks to the contribution
of different human and juridical sensibilities,’” the newspaper added
in its report.

In December 2012, Pope Benedict appointed Father Pinto as the new dean
of the Roman Rota, which hears appeals on marital and other appellate
cases.

The Rota, he said, “would like, as formerly with Pope Benedict,
to promise you perfect obedience to the Magisterium and to those
decisions which God will inspire you to make for the fundamental
spiritual good of the Church.”